WSBK – WSBK 2015: Bayliss replaces Giugliano at Phillip Island! –

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WSBK 2015: Bayliss replaces Giugliano at Phillip Island !

WSBK - WSBK 2015: Bayliss replaces Giugliano at Phillip Island! -

Too old for this bullshit? At 45, Troy Bayliss is certainly not. Retired from competition – international only – for six years, the three-time World Superbike champion will participate in ” his ” Australian event this Sunday !

Rossi on the all new R1, Marquez on an old CBR1000RR, Biaggi – Aprilia test driver – on "his" RSV4 … The wildest rumors have been heard this winter about the opening round of the championship of the 2015 Superbike World! And as often, reality finally exceeds fiction.

Who would have believed it: Troy Bayliss, 45 years old on the clock, 3 WSBK world championship titles in his pocket, 94 podiums including 52 victories in 152 races contested, is about to replace the – too – bubbling Davide Giugliano (pilot official Ducati injured during official testing on Monday, read).

Victim of a nasty highside in the penultimate corner of the Australian circuit, the n ° 34 had to forfeit the Australian round: "it will not be easy to follow the first two races of the season as a spectator", confessed Davide on Tuesday.

Hit in the back (micro fractures of the L1 and L2 vertebrae!), Giugliano tries to put into perspective: "What to say ? I am not seriously injured and that is the most important. Unfortunately I have to give up the Phillip Island races and focus on my recovery to be back ASAP".

According to the Ducati Aruba factory team, their Italian rider "will not be able to return to competition riding the Panigale R for a period of 90 daysHis participation in the first World Superbike event in Thailand is therefore also compromised….

Naturally present at Phillip Island this week, Troy Bayliss could not pass up such a "great" opportunity. "I want to start off by saying that I support Davide and that it is a real shame for his season to start this way.", warns the famous n ° 21 who will team up with the n ° 7 Chaz Davies.

But at the same time, he confesses it: "the desire to come back to the track and see the crowd at home as well as all the Ducatisti has always been strong since my last race. It was November 2, 2008, in Portimao: "Baylisstic" ended his career in WSBK with a memorable "hat trick" (pole and double victory, read).

"And then Phillip Island, which is one of my favorite circuits, celebrates its 25th anniversary in the World Superbike Championship", adds Mister Bayliss."It gave me the idea to participate as a wildcard and to work again with the technicians of the Ducati Superbike"…

So after six years of absence, the – the biggest? – Ducati rider will resume service. "We have the age we want to give ourselves", points out Troy,"and I’m the current Australian Dirt Track and Supermoto champion so I didn’t really slouch on my couch".

21, this is Bayliss !

"Turns out a motorbike was there, and riding it made perfect sense to me", remarks the one who" replaces "Guintoli this time as dean of the category this weekend. A point that our" Guinters "did not fail to underline during the traditional opening press conference.

Tease, the "Number One" in the category also said more seriously: "you never know what Bayliss is going to do, he could surprise everyone and be very fast", Sylvain warns before concluding:"he really has a big pair (no sliders, Editor’s note …) to come back".

Also asked about this unexpected and unexpected return, Alex Lowes perfectly illustrates the general opinion: "this is absolutely awesome he is one of my heroes and i cant wait to see that", rejoices the author of the best time during the last official tests.

"We all know what he is capable of, if a driver can achieve an amazing performance like he did at the Valencia Grand Prix. (read) after a long time without running, it’s him, attests Suzuki pilot n ° 22.

Jonathan Rea, who took part in his first Superbike races in Portimao in 2008 (!), Is also delighted to find Bayliss: "we shared the front row on the grid in Troy’s very last race", recalls JR,"so we will be able to rewrite this story".

Convinced that Bayliss’ last minute engagement will explode the influx of the public on the circuit this Sunday, the new Ninja n ° 65 was thrilled to learn of Troy’s registration for this event … "Then I remembered that I believe in fairy tales".

"Wait a minute, and if all went wonderfully well for him, he would kick my ass and make me look like a simple amateur ?", jokes – half – Jonathan Rea!"Anyway, I’m really happy to find him on the grid", concludes Jonathan Rea.

Only one other driver from the 2015 field had the privilege of riding with – far behind! – the famous "Baylisstic": Leon Haslam! The British Superbike rider and his teammate – a certain Cal Crutchlow … – had taken advantage of an invitation to the WSBK in Portimao 2008 (read).

Coming this year to Phillip Island to sign countless autographs and win his own "Baylisstic Scramble" challenge, could Troy instead sign a (27th?) Superpole and win ahead of the current World Superbike champions on a fourth generation of Ducati (after its victories on 996/998, 999 and 1098) ?

"I know it’s going to be a very difficult weekend because it’s been a while since I rode a Superbike", predicts the Australian,"but I know the track well and hope to feel good there after a few laps. I will try to have fun and of course do my best to get a good result and give the audience a great show.".

For Site, whatever the results of Mr. Bayliss, the moral of the story is already found: we are never, never "too old for this bullshit" !

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